Dispensing closures



May 28, 1957 w, s. WILSON ET Ai.

DISPENSINGY cLosUREs Filed Dec. l1, 1956 i INVENToRs DELL M. MAL/a6,Waan/Qon/. W/Asa/v, Maeva# A. QASEL.,

.rmpugy DISPENSING CLOSURES Woodrow S. Wilson, Pasadena, Morton A.Carabel, Los

A Angeles, Dell M. Malick, Whittier, Calif. i' Application December 11,1956, Serial No. 627,677

- A 5 Claims. (Cl. 2225536) vThis invention relates to new and improveddispensing closures. This application is a continuation-impart of thecci-pending application Serial No. 555,491 tiled December 27, 1955entitled container structures.

The term dispensing closures is commonly employed at the present time todesignate closures for containers,

whichl closures are capable of being manipulated so that Practically allof the prior :dispensing closures haveV been designed in' such a mannerthat the principal parts -ofl'tliese structures are formed of rigidmaterials such` as," forexample, various metals, thermosetting plasticsor the like. Further, all prior dispensing closures formed withparts ofsuch rigid materials are manufactured so More 2,793,795' Patented May28.-, v1957 ice ' oletln class or any vinyl composition can be used.Such thermoplastic resins generally tend to change shape and form whensubjected to tension or compression for a prolonged period; also theytend to shrink -as a result of cooling after being molded. As a resultof these and other related factors the manufacture of dispensingclosures out of thermoplastic resins has almost become more of an artthan an engineering science. The prior structures utilizing suchthermoplastic resins appear to have 'been designed so as to take intoconsideration only certain of the inherent properties of thesethermoplastic resins.

yThis can be illustrated by specilically discussing one type of commondispensing closure used with containers for lighter iluid and the likeat the present time. This type of dispensing closure structure isdesigned so as to include a cap having a centrally located cavity formedtherein, and a hole leading from the bottom of this cavity through thecap. The cavity in this type of structure is important; it correspondsin shape to more than half of a surface revolution so that a spoutmember having corresponding conguration may be snapped into it and heldagainst the hole referred to in order to obtain a seal at all times. Inorder to obtain a satisfactory seal with this type of prior constructionit is necessary to make the internal cavity comparatively large so thatsufficient holding area is available to hold the spout against the holeso :as to include at least one part which may be moved with` respect toanother partin order to obtain a sealing action. Unfortunately, rigidmaterials cannot normally be manufactured by large scale mass productiontechniques at a comparatively low cost tothe tolerances necessary sothat satisfactory seals against leakage can be obtained in suchdispensing closures. e difficulty, many of the prior dispensing closurestructures utilizing rigid` parts have been designedA so as tolinclude4leather,'rubber or the like sealing members.

ln order to remedy this Such separate sealing means add to the oost ofdispensing closures and increase the complexity of such devices.

In order to provi-de dispensing closures in which asatisfactory sealmay` be obtained without using extra parts, such assealing means, anumber of dispensing closures have been designed in which one or more ofthe principal e parts involved are created from a somewhat resilient'material. With this type of construction it is intended that a part in adispensing closure serves two or more,

functions simultaneously. Dispensing closures utilizing resilient partsserving two or more purposes simultaneously have been widely utilized inspite of the fact that they suffer from certain limitations or drawbacksatiecting'- their commercial acceptability.

To understand many of these limitations and drawishap'e'at'a"minimum-cost by simple injection molding techniques;""Althoiighnpolyethylene is the principal poly-` mer-utilized,-a'iiunibrof-related thermoplastic resins can alsob employed; thus,virtually any polymer of the polyas to prevent leakage. Since acomparatively large area isfrequired to develop sutiicient force forthis purpose, and

since suflicient space is required so that :a spout may be snapped intoplace, a dispensing closure formedfin this manner is comparativelylarge. These size requirements result in an ungainly appearing structurewhich cannot be satisfactorily stacked and which extends from acontainer a'comparatively large distance. Also, because of the size ofthe parts involved in this type of construction, the shrinkage in theindividual parts after they have been molded tends to be very important,and makes it difficult to' satisfactorily design a structure of thecategory.

'It is a broad object of the present invention to provide new andimproved dispensing closures which over come the principal limitationsand disadvantages of the parts are fonned out of resilient, resinousmaterials. An-

other related object of the-invention is to provide dis-1"' pehsingclosures in which the individual parts utilize comL paratively thin orsmall wall and body sections so las to'make allowances forsubstantiallythe shrinkage and other physical properties of polyethyleneand other related thermoplastics. A still further object of theinvention is toV provide dispensing closures having `a neat, dat-likeappearance which may be stacked with a .minimum of diulty. `Anotherobject of the invention-isito provideV dispensing Aclosures of the classindicated inthe preceding discussion incorporating various novel sealingmeans as will hereinafter be described in more detail'. i

Because of the nature of this invention still further objects andadvantages of the invention itself will be fully apparent to thoseskilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a detailedconsideration of the remainder of this description, including theappended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a dispensing closure of thisinvention ina closed position; l

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the dispensing closure shdwn .in Fig. lin an open position; 4

ure rshown in Fig. 2;

e Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View Figl 3;

Fig. 3 is a top elevational view of the r.dispensing clos- Fig. 5 is laperspectivel .View of la spout employed with the closure illustrated inthe preceding figures;

Fig. 6 is 1a partial enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the sameplane as Fig. 4 showing a part of the sealing fmeans employed; 5

Fig. 7 is -a cross-sectionalview takennat iine 7 7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional View similar to Fig'. 6illustrating Wa lmodified sealingustructure of the invention; 10

Fig. 9 isa cross-sectional View taken at line 9 9 of Fig. 8;

Fig'. kl0 is a partial cross-sectional View similar to Fig.

6 showing asecond modied sealing structure pt this invention; 15

Fig.v ll'is a vcrosssec :tional `View takenlatline 11T-11 of Fig."10;andY Figs."12"and v13 are s idee-levational views? partially in section,showing the use of "dispensing,closures.ofJ the present invention "withdiierfent containersf p 20 In `all iiguresfof the' drawingylike'numerals- 'areulsed; to designatelike' parts whereverfconvenientfor purposes of illustration and explanation'. It`is'to'be understoodthat the accomp anyingV drawingv is not to be` taken as j lirnfA itingthis invention infamy' respect. Those skilled in the v25 art to Whichthis invention pertains will .realizethat it is possible to design iawide varietyof differently` appear:v ing dispensing ciosure utilizingtheessential featuresf of lthis invention. i y i As an aid to' understandthis-invention it may be stated 30 in essentially summaryform'that'itinvolvesfdispensing closures havingV two parts, 'atleast one ofWhichpats is formed of `a somewhat resilient'material. The nfirst ofAVthese parts* may be formed integrally with the wa'lloi al containeror-as a separate cap. In'eithercase it is manuf 35 factured soas toinclude a central cavity from the sides f of which project what may betermed bearing openings.. The second o'fthese parts is manufacturedV soVlas to Vinclude a body section which is adapted to be rotatably heldwithin lthe central' cavityV by means of vshafts whichr 40 is providedin the second part; by rotating ythe second part 4 this opening andVthis passage may be aligned with one anothen The 'shaftsfemployed'serve to hold at alltimes v the Abodysection against the portions of thecentralfcavff ity around this opening so las to form a seal in thisareal.'l Because. of the' nature of Ythis invention, it is best.r'noreQl tul'lyIexplained i by-referr'ing directly to the accompanyingdrawing'.l In Fig.- l lthere is shown' la vdispensingfclos-" ure 10of.the present invention which is formed so as tofA inoludejaiirst'inemb'er or cap 12 which is'adapted to hold a second member orspout 14 by various means ,as y will hereinafter; be described. The cap12 itself is `prefl J enably formed so as to include a conventional typeof t' internally threaded cylindiicaicavity i6 so that it may be readily.attached to a container v(not shown). inthe obvious manner. It desireda small ange 18 maybe lo t catedwithin the cavity 16 so as to tactessentially as aseal-ving washer in forming Va seal against the portionof the container uponwhich the cap 12 is mounted. It is frequentlydesired to provide the exterior 20 of the cap 12 with various serrationsas shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing soes to improve the aestheticappearance of the cap and so as to aid in attaching this cap to acontainer.

The construction ot the top 22 of this oap 12v is important; As can beseen 'from an examination of Figs.

0 Further, because of thetact that the shafts 38 and the);y bearingopenings 36 are, as shown, `of a bilaterally symr 3 'and 4 of fthe:'drawing, this top 22 is formed so as to 70 have an internal cavity 24'from which there extends par-` allel to the top 22 a groove 26 leadingto the edge of thel i cap 512i itself. The cavity 24 has twowaillsections 28,l v each of which extendscompletely across the width 'ofthelcavity 24,5 and'isforxned so" as to'have the shapemof a7 From the sidesof vthe cavity 24 thereextend circular,

bearing openings 36. The axes of` these bearing openings 36 are alignedwith one anotherfandwith the axes of the cylindrical wal'l sections28'in such a manner that smail shaft-like extensions 38 uponzthespout 14may be secured within these bearing openings so that the entire spoutmay be held by them when it is rotated from either a closed positionshown in Fig. 1 to an open position shown in Fig. 2 or back again.During suchvrotationja central body section 40 upon thev spout 14havinganex ternal surface corresponding to atleast a partial surface 1of revolution is rotated so thatthis body section 40 en-` gages with thewall sections 28, thecircular ilange ,34, and the at section 30 so as#to form a doubletseal around the opening 32. With the closure 10 thesurface of thel body section 40 preferably has thecylindrical shape.This double seal is a result of the il-atY section being, A

engagedby the body section 40, and is the result of cir-v cular flange34 being. engaged by the body section-40. The pressure necessary toobtain a seal at thesegpointsis obtained by means o f the shafts38 beingsecurely heldA i within the bearing openings 36 with respectto thekcap,:1 2.-` L

An important feature of the preferred constructionfot;v this inventionlies in the fact that small slots 42 extending the length of the bearingopenings 36 are formedwithin the top 22 of the cap 12. Preferably theentrance `Walls to these slots 42 are curved as indicated inthe drawingsothat the spout 14 may be securelysnapped intoposition by temporaryvdeformation of the portions of the top 22, adjacentto these slots 42;It Will be realized Vthat during such an operation that only the shafts38 are, in elect, directly attached to the cap 12.. It is not necessarywith thedispensing closure 10 that the sides of the cavity 22 engage thebody `section of the spout 14. Part of this]` 'body vsection `doesengage only the bottom sideiof the` cavityfu24 as indicated-in thepreceding; such engagementsL doesnot serve to holdthe spout 14 intoposition.-

Because of theprecise shaft andbearing opening struc/f tureinvolved-with this construction, it is possible to fadi;

just'the.lengths and diametersrof the shafts 38 to virtuallyanyl'desired extentnso as to obtain-sutcientv holding area`V to obtainany necessary `amount of pressure required'tov produce asealby forcingand/Vor holding the body'section which any required amount of pressurecan be obtained.

metrical construction the force applied. to the b0dy section 40 inorderto obtain va seal is equally distributed within the cavity 24. Fromlan examination of thedrawfingit will be further seen, that nowhere inthis construction isv a comparatively thick wall or body sectionutilized.

Thick or large wall, or body sections will tend to distort as byshrinkage when formed from ,many resins, vand such changelin dimensionswill, of course,faie ct the na- ,i

ture of the seal obtained in a dispensing closure.,

Thess two Sections 28v are .tion 30".

message dust shield serves to tend to prevent dust ljgiarticle-sor thelik'frox'n coming in contact with part of the surface of the bodysection 40. Any dust particles or other contaminants getting to the bodysection 40 beneath the shield 44 will be wiped olf of the surface of thebody section by Ian end 46 of one of the wall sections 28 when the spout14 is rotated. Those contaminants not removed by this end 46 in thismanner will be removed through engagement of the circular flange 34.Thus, the structure shown provides a double type of protection againstthe entrance of particles which would tend to destroy a seal within thedispensing closure 10.

The dust shield 44 also serves essentially as a stop Ias illustrated inFigs. 2 and 4 of the drawing so as to limit the rotation of the spout 14so as to -guarantee that a passage 48 formed within the spout 14 so asto extend through the body section 40 and out through Ia projecting arm50 is aligned with the opening 32 when the spout 14 is rotated to anopen position. The arm 50 normallyrests within the groove 26 when in aclosed position as indicated in Fig. 1. When the arm 50 is locatedwithin this closed position, it does not extend from the cap 12 to anymaterial extent. Hence, it cannot be dam-aged by engagement duringhandling, sta-cking and the like. Further, it does not interfere withsuch operations since it lies essentially within the conines of the top22.

It is possible to modify the dispensing closure in various manners asindicated in Fig. 8 through 11 of the drawing so as to utilize othersealing means than rare specifically indicated in Figs. 1 through 7. InFigs. 8 and 9 of the drawing there is shown a structure which isidentical with that described in the preceding figures except for thefact that the circular flange 34 previously described is omitted. Thefact that a construction of this category is operative is considered todemonstrate the fact that a double seal is obtained in the preferredconstruction lof the dispensing closure, 10. A double seal is normallypreferred with the invention in order to prevent any possibility ofleakage. In Figs. 10 'and ll of the drawing, there is shown a secondmodified construction which is identical with the construction of thedispensing closure 10 except for the fact that the circular ange 34 is-omitted Iand is replaced by another circular flange or bead 52 whichextends around the opening 32, on to the portions of the wall sections28 adjacent to a flat sec- The mechanism by which this constructionoperates is essentially identical to the mechanism by which a seal isobtained in the dispensing closure 10; in it both the anges 34 `and theiiat section 30" act in forming a seal.

In order for a dispensing closure of the present invention to beoperative, either the cap 12 or the spout 14 employed must be formed outof a material having some degree of resiliency. Presently, both of theparts of dispensing closures such as the dispensing closure 10 arefbeing commercially manufactured out of polyethylene. These can,however, be lalso manufactured out of Various related thermoplasticmaterials such as any related polyolens, polyvinyl compositions or thelike. All such resins possess some degree of resiliency land are capableof some deformation at the part of the dispensing closure of theinventi-on where a seal is created. Such deformation is necessary from apractical standpoint, although theoretically no deformation is required,in forming a seal. With the preferred construction of the invention boththe cap 12 and the spout 14 are preferably formed of such resilientmaterials so that both the surface of the body section 40 and thecorresponding vadjacent parts of the cap 12 and the opening 32 give orare deformed slightly during use of the dispensing closure 10. This isbelieved to promote an effective sealing action. It is at leasttheoretically possible to obtain an operative structure in which eitherthe cap 12 or the spout 14 is formed out of more rigid material such as,for example,

polystyrene.

` plicable.

If desired, a*dispensingclosurefofl them-invention be formed out of anyof these ,materialsduring the manu#- facture of a conta-inet so thatwhat corresponds tothe cap 12 previously described is formed integrallywith the wall of a container. This is illustrated in Fig. 12 of thedrawings where there is shown a container 54 having a top 56 formedasthe top 22, so as to hold a spout 58' corresponding to the spout 14..If desired a dispensing the top 22. Within the top 66 there is locateda spoutA p 68 which is substantially identical to the spout 14. As anaid to stacking there are` provided on the closures 60a,

series of bumps 10 designed to engage the bottom ofan adjacentlcontainer (not shown). v

Itfwill'be obviousto those skilled in the art vto which 'I thisinvention pertains that a number of modifications may be made'in thestructures shown and described, and that dispensing closures as hereinindicated can even be formed integrally with the wall sections ofvarious types of containers so as to be completely disposed adjacent toor beneath the surfaces of such containers. In this connection it is tobe noted that the term cavity employed herein is not to be considered aslimiting the invention. From an analysis of the aforegoing, it will beapparent that an operative structure can be created in which the wallsections 28 Iare omitted and in which the body section 40 of the spout14 is suspended in a continuous groove or essentially in the openbetween separate bearing means so as to bear against sealing meanssurrounding an opening as herein described. Such a groove or essentiallyopen space is essentially a cavity, and hence is to be considered asbeing defined by this term in the accompanying claims. vention iscapable of a great many modifications, it is to be considered as beinglimited only by the appended claims, and these claims are to beinterpreted in the light of the doctrine of equivalents wherever thesame is ap- Wherever the term means is employed in these claims, thisterm is to be interpreted as defining the corresponding structure setforth in this specification or the equivalent of the same.

We claim:

l. A dispensing closure having two parts, each of said parts beingformed of a resilient material, the first of said parts being formed soas to include a cavity open at the top of said first part, said cavityhaving sides, aat bottom and cylindrical wall sections extending fromopposite sides of said at bottom, means defining an opening leading tothe center of said ilat bottom means defining aligned bearing openingsleading from said sides, slots extending the length of said bearingopenings and leading into said bearing openings from the top of saidfirst part, and a. groove open at the -top of said iirst part leadingfrom said cavity, the other of said parts being formed so as to includea body section located within said cavity, aligned shafts extending fromsaid body section into said bearing openings, said shafts being adaptedto be snapped through said slots into said bearing openings by temporarydeformation of said first part, said shafts being held by engagementwith the walls of said bearing openings so as to rotatably mount saidother part with said body section against said flat bottom so as tocause deformation of said flat bottom, the portion of said body sectionadapted to engage said at bottom during rotation of said other partbeing of a cylindrical shape, said other part also lincluding an armextending from said body section and a passage extending through saidbody section and said arm, said other part being adapted to be rotatedso as to align said passage with said opening, said arm being adapted tobe positioned within said groove in one position of said other part.

Because of the fact that this inv :wss-394s 42. A dispensingclosureas;dened nclam l'including 3. A Adispensing closureas ydefined in claim-1 including.

said cylindrical Wall sections; said opening ,beingin .the center rrof;said'.ange, sid ange being.. .engaged -by said L body ,'sction, sofasltobedeformed thereby.

4. -A` .dispensing closure'as denedinlaim l including combineddustshieldnd I.stop means .fomedon saidrst pait 'sof asto extend overfpart of'` s'idcavity, said combirid'ineansfbeing'gdpted to limiti-.ota'tionof said'otheif.v

said" b'e'ringr openingsI bingspacedfrom one-another; 20' f meansd'eiining anop'ejningylledin'g through ,s'aidf top from theV space,between .saidbearing openings, -and'.`V sealing@ means.; locateda-ioundsaidopeningrthe.other of saidvparts being f o'rmedlsoasto includea body-Sectionflocated be@ tween said AbearingzopeuingsV. aligned-shaft= meansexn tendinglfrmy 4said body, sectionv intofrsaid. bear-ingopen-5` -tendrigcthrotlgmsaicL body section, :said.body section beinglheld' byf, said, shaft ;means..in engagement with saidv seaiiig.[meansyandfbein'g .capable .fof rotation so Vas -to place` said v,passage incommunication, with said opening. i

References Ctd inthe le'of this patent UNITED STA'PES PATENTS '1

